Violence mars polling in Asansol, Supriyo's car vandalised

Asansol, Apr 29: Violence marred polling in West Bengal during the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 in which Union Minister and sitting BJP MP Babul Supriyo's car was vandalised. Clash broke out between the Trinamool (TMC) workers and security personnel at a polling booth in Asansol from where Supriyo is seeking a second term.

Babul Supriyo's vehicle was attacked and vandalised, allegedlly by the TMC workers, when he was on his way to a polling booth in Barabani. The singer-turned-politician also reportedly had a heated argument with polling officers at Baraboni's Kashidanga after BJP polling agent was allegedly chased away from booth no. 180.

Babul Supriyo took to Twitter and alleged that the Trinamool Congress is trying to influence voters and have stationed their people at booth numbers 171, 199, 223 and 224 in Jamuria constituency.

"They want to confine me at a single place. I have to move to other places. Even those residing in buildings in front of the polling station could not cast their votes," Supriyo reportedly told the media.

"I will myself take the central forces to that polling station. It is very good that people in West Bengal are aware and they want central forces so that they can cast their vote. This is why Mamata Banerjee is scared," he added.

According to ANI, the clash erupted after the BJP and CPIM workers insisted that the central forces must be present during the polling in a particular booth in Asansol. TMC workers, however, insisted that the polling be held despite the absence of central forces.

Violence was reported from several places in West Bengal during the first three phases. One person died in political clashes during the third phase while the car of CPI(M) candidate Md Salim was attacked in Islampur during the second round.

The fight in Asansol this time is between sitting BJP MP and Union Minister Supriyo and Trinamool's Moon Moon Sen, a veteran actor. While the fight on the ground is between Supriyo and Sen, in the larger context, it is a battle of prestige between Narendra Modi and Mamata Banerjee. In 2014, Asansol in West Bengal was one of the two seats that the BJP could win in TMC's bastion, the other one being Darjeeling. Many dubbed it as a surprise win when singer Babul Supriyo of the BJP defeated Trinamool's Dola Sen by a margin of 70,000 votes.